Konohamaru didn't rush to answer the chubby man's question, but instead asked in return, "I heard that the villagers here have to hand over all the grain they harvest, leaving only enough to barely survive?"
The chubby man frowned, his face showing displeasure. "This is not a matter for your Konoha to concern yourself with. As ninjas, you should be catching spies and dealing with bandits. Didn't your teachers teach you that?"
Konohamaru, as the grandson of the former Hokage, completely disregarded the nobleman's questioning. "So what those villagers said is true. Please, sir, renegotiate the contracts with the villagers you govern, giving them a place to live."
Anger began to surface on the chubby man's face. He slammed his hand on the armrest of the chair and roared, "Get out of here! I'm going to complain to your Hokage!"
How dare you, ninjas, overstep your authority and interfere in local affairs! I'm reporting this to the Daimyo so he can properly question the Hokage about how he manages you ninjas! Guards!
Several warriors rushed in from outside the hall, drew their long swords, and surrounded the four students.
Konohamaru had anticipated that this trip wouldn't go smoothly, but he hadn't expected that a single sentence would enrage the lord. At this moment, he didn't know what to do. After all, he was too young and had no experience in handling such matters. Moreover, his upbringing had never included any experience of turning against a nobleman.
The young ninjas were blasted out by a group of samurai. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
Shinsei had been watching all along, but he didn't step in to offer any advice. If it were him, he would have definitely taught this nobleman a lesson; he didn't have any special bias towards these nobles.
The chubby man was still fuming, cursing, "These ninjas nowadays have no sense of respect at all, daring to interfere in local affairs. No way, I'm going to write to the daimyo."
The maids on both sides kept wiping the sweat that dripped down the fat man's face with silk.
A tall figure emerged from behind the lobby. The chubby man, seeing the newcomer, showed a slight displeasure. "Xin, why are you out here? It wouldn't be good if those ninjas found out."
With his body wrapped in bandages, Xin said in a hoarse voice, "Bring that girl to me."
The chubby man was startled and hurriedly asked, "Which girl? There were two just now."
With a forced smile, Shin said, "I don't want to Byakugan; those eyes are meant for stronger eyes. As for the other girl, if I'm not mistaken, she's from the Senju Clan. I want her bloodline."
" Senju?" The chubby man was startled and asked hurriedly, "You mean the Senju of Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, and the Senju of Shinsei? Are you crazy?"
Xin chuckled and said, "Crazy? I'm not crazy! What I want is the bloodline of the Senju Clan."
I used to think that the Senju Clan didn't have any special Kekkei Genkai, but ever since that brat Shinsei rose to power, I've re-examined the Senju Clan and finally discovered that the Senju Clan does have Kekkei Genkai —their bodies are special Kekkei Genkai!
Otherwise, how could Shinsei possess such an enormous amount of Chakra at such a young age?
The chubby man hurriedly shook his head. "I won't capture that little girl. Shinsei is from the Senju Clan. If we capture one of his clansmen, ninjas will definitely come looking for us! The Senju Clan isn't like the Uchiha; they're not all dead yet."
Xin's eyes were filled with danger, making the chubby man's hair stand on end, yet he didn't know what he had said wrong.
Xin shifted his gaze to the side and continued, "They want you to renegotiate the contract with those villagers, right? Agree to it!"
Upon hearing this, the chubby man almost jumped off his chair. "The contract with these villagers is the foundation of my family's business."
Once a reasonable contract is signed, how can I guarantee the continuation of my family? I will not agree to this!
The chubby man said firmly, "Not only will I not agree, no noble will agree to this. This is tantamount to undermining our very foundation."
Xin chuckled, "It's not like you're actually agreeing to their conditions. Just sign the contract again after they leave."
What trouble could these villagers possibly cause? But there are conditions to agreeing to their demands: haven't you been supporting the bandits of Tangerine Mountain all along?
It's time for them to do their part. Let these kids go and suppress the bandits. As for the little girl, if anything goes wrong, it's not your fault."
The chubby man's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly nodded. "Great, great, what a brilliant plan! Let's do it that way."
Xin nodded and disappeared in a flash.
In a dark underground space, various human bodies are submerged in glass jars all around. A short, white-haired man holds a document and keeps writing and drawing on it.
Footsteps echoed down the corridor. The white-haired man buttoned up the documents in his hand and smiled, "Back so soon. Are you sure? Are you from the Senju Clan?"
Shin nodded. "It's confirmed. That little girl's Chakra far surpasses that of her companions; it's the mark of the Senju Clan."
The white-haired man nodded in satisfaction. "That's wonderful. With the bloodline of the Senju Clan, the chances of my plan succeeding will greatly increase. It's all thanks to you, Shin; your body is truly extraordinary."
With you, my Chimera Technique doesn't need so many conditions at all! And according to my research, as long as you possess the bloodline of the Senju Clan, the Sharingan within you can truly belong to you."
Xin asked, somewhat puzzled, "Didn't you say you wanted to add the Uchiha Clan's bloodline? Why can the Senju Clan be included too?"
"Shin, have you forgotten? That Shinsei doesn't have the bloodline of the Senju Clan, but he awakened the Mangekyō with his Three-Tomoe Sharingan! The Senju Clan and Uchiha Clan must have an unimaginable connection."
Shin nodded, then shook his head. "I don't want the Senju bloodline, I only want the Uchiha Clan bloodline. I want to become a true Uchiha!"
The white-haired middle-aged man laughed heartily, "Of course, no problem! I'll choose the Senju Clan's bloodline, and you'll choose the Uchiha! If we brothers join forces, we might just be able to create a peaceful world like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha."
" Madara Uchiha!" As he murmured that name, his eyes held both longing and self-doubt. "I will become a true Uchiha and stand before you once more!"